As an upgrade, I finally bought an iPhone a few weeks ago… after months of consideration, to ascertain that I’m not just another fashionista-tech geek who follows the crowd. I think its very invention is a celebration of ‘Zen-ness’ in design. Yes, the Mac folks are...

Whether you believe the ‘theory’ of the 100th monkey or not, it is nevertheless true that together, we can cause the tipping point (for the betterment of the world), it is nevertheless true that individually, we can facilitate the tipping too. Collective karma IS made up of...

Happy 2009 from Moonpointer.com I have this love-hate relationship with technology. It offers undeniable convenience and room for creativity. But it can change so fast that it ‘sucks’ too. Ya, no doubt about that. I had been toying with the design of moonpointer.com for years....

If you are deluded that the deluded are so, are you not similar? - Stonepeace When you are petty towards the petty just because they are petty towards you, how are you different from them? When you are angry towards the angry just because they are angry towards you, how are you different from...

The nails which are the hardest to cut are those of my two big toes, which tend to grow inwards into the flesh. Because they can be difficult to cut, I tend to cut them less frequently, while I trim all my other nails regularly – on both hands and legs. I usually trim the two toes only...

If we do not try, we will not know. -Ayya Khema (Be An Island) Is there Nirvana or not? Can it be realised or not? No point speculating. No point doubting. As it is worthy, just advance towards it. The more you advance towards it, the more will you know if it is real or not, the more will you...

If you are invulnerable to harm, seemingly able to live forever, what would you do? Would you become a great villain [e.g. Octopus] who goes all out exploit and harm others? Since there are no apparent consequences? The ultimate harm has to be the harming of others - that which does not lead...

Being vegan, finding suitable pastries in Singapore is no easy task, let alone to find a yummy vegan cake. Ya: Hi, do these cakes contain milk? Ta: Well, our cakes are vegetarian… egg-free. Ya: Er… okay, but do you use milk? Ta: Of course! How do you make cakes without any...

I think films of the respective eras they were made in tend to be rather accurate portrayals of the general temperament of their times… though there are also landmark masterpieces which were trendsetters ahead of their times – more so than reflections of the then current trends....

After picking up Buddhism, I found my threshold of being able to withstand seeing others in suffering to have reduced significantly. I can’t sit long in front of the television watching people scheming against each other, even though I know it’s just a show. Well, scriptwriters...

My English is not perfect, but I know some friends with worse English. Knowing there is a need for them to do some Dharma translation work from Chinese to English now and then, I offered to help check for accuracy… not just once, not just twice, but at least thrice… in an...

Q: What’s your take on organ donations upon death? Some are against transplants in the first place, saying this is against the natural course of life itself. Anyway, if I were to die at home, I don’t think there would be much chance for timely transplants. A: A karmic...

I had an email query on what the Buddha advised on financial management. The simplest answer that came to mind was two stanzas from the Sigalovada Sutta - With wealth acquired this [skilful] way, a layman fit for household life, in portions four divides his wealth: thus will he friendship...

La: Did you make “tang yuan” (汤圆: glutinous rice balls) on Sunday? Ya: Nope. La: Why not? It’s winter solstice and a tradition to do so. Ya: Says who? La: My mom… Ya:  Having tang yuan to me is more of symbolism than a die-hard tradition to follow. Symbolic...

A friend, despite being a movie buff, often falls asleep while watching DVDs that feature slower movies. Because he falls asleep, he only has a fuzzy idea of what the films are about. This vague perception discourages him from rewatching them… because they are then somewhat decided as...

‘Go’ (围棋) is not an ordinary board game, but one that involves much wits and strategising. Unlike it’s counterpart Chinese chess (中国象棋), Go is a very minimal game with simple rules and only two different pieces (black and white). The objective is to conquer a...

Met up with a rather old friend last night for dinner and chat. As he’s between jobs and since it’s the holiday season, he’s taking his time to text and call up friends individually to catch up with them. He lamented that when he contacted them, most of them would exclaim...

Below is some traditional Vajrayana advice on how to dispose Dharma books that have become too old or damaged for re-circulation. (Yes, ideally, such books should be ‘recycled’ for reuse by others as much a possible – before being disposed.) – ‘If it is...

I was at a group dinner last weekend, during which the conversation centered mostly around food. That seen as ‘great food’ for most is but burnt carcasses to me, no matter how well masked the meat is with herbs and spices. I can no longer comprehend why anyone can be fascinated by...

Ding: For goodness sake, ditch those torn cargo pants!  Dong: Why? They can be patched. Reduces wastage of resources! Ding: Come on! Who patches these?  Dong: Well, people patch torn jeans all the time. Ding: Those are jeans! These aren’t! Dong: There’s no law that pants cannot...